Powerwolf – Preachers Of The Night

Powerwolf have become a recognisable name and band on the power metal scene, from their darker sound compared to other acts, to the corpse-paint and the almost fetish-like obsession with werewolves. Following their jump from Metal Blade to Napalm, Preachers of the Night – which is the band’s fifth studio album – was soon released thereafter.

The catchy number Amen & Attack opens the album, proving to be more infectious than the black death. The vocals are loud, boisterous and powerful added to the heavily symphonic elements and driving slabs of metal. The track proves to be a strong sword arm for the album, swinging left and right, taking unsuspecting listeners by surprise in the black of night – Which is exactly what any metal album needs to keep the attention of the listener.

Secrets of the Sacristy continues with the surprise attacks, proving to be unrelenting with the near-joy filled guitar passages and contrasting dreary symphonic lines. Coleus Sanctus (which apparently in Latin slang means something like holy testicles) keeps the strong flow of melodic riffs pouring forth whilst the vocals conjure up memorable lines that have a few hooks hidden for good measure.

The ambitious, hard-to-ignore riffs continue on through Sacred & Wild and straight into a total lycan-like metamorphosis with Kreuzfeuer which hammers out a darker, vastly sinister sound. Even the vocals have a cimmerian shade to their sound. Cardinal Sin begins with the hymn-like anthemic sound before the blazing trail of riffs bursts in. The chorus stands out the most throughtout the duration of the song.

In The Name Of God (Deus Vult) is a true power metal anthem through and through and the best track on the album. With an impressive and infectiously poignant chorus and eventful musicianship, the song soars above the rest of the album. Nochnoi Dozor is painted with a shade of dusk from beginning to end, each riff and symphonic passage adding a fresh stroke of twilight-coloured paint to the lyrics and the music. A tragic wave of sound comes crashing down throughout Lust For Blood, mixing typical power metal elements with a murkier – if somewhat vampiric sounding – concept.

ExtatumEt Oratum brings a far more grand and majestic ambiance with its presence as well as references to Greek mythos, Roman nobles and dead civilisations. The guitar segments give off an intense sound, whereas the symphonic elements still bring the tragic voices. Last Of The Living Dead is a truly haunting piece of work, making a strong use of Latin lyrics and chilling symphonies with icy guitar riffs. Some of the vocal passages are still sung in English, though the most power vocal sections are those sang in Latin. The wolf howls add an eerie aspect to the song as well, as do the church bells.

Preachers Of The Night shows another development in Powerwolf‘s sound. Each track tells its own tale, both musicially and lyrically, and each track weave together perfectly to tell an overall story as well – Though some tracks are more memorable than others. Preachers Of The Night is the pinnacle of Powerwolf‘s sound.